"Privately funded" rocket blasts off

[whitehall]

The media seemed lukewarm to the alleged private rocket that blasted off today. A couple of alleged duck hunters delayed the launch but it went off without a hitch. The question is how on earth (no pun intended) can a private corporation recoup the investment of a space ship. The bottom line is that it is another Obama payoff that has no chance in the world of making a buck from launching ant farms into outer space.

 

[Moonglow]

This rocket has a robotic arm and solar panels to power it. It will orbit with the ISS for a week.
The company has a 1.9 billion contract with NASA for 7 more rockets. The payload on this rocket is
4,990 lbs. Later rockets will have an increased payload capacity.

 

[TheOldSchool]

One of the things I'm most upset with Obama about is what he's done to NASA. It's amazing how much this country wants the rest of the world to catch up to us.

 

[whitehall]

It's a rocket built by NASA with taxpayer funds that pretends to be a corporate endeavor. You almost gotta laugh that the weather channel and Fox did their duty and raved about the ant farms on the rocket.

 

[Mr. H.]

My friend used to work for Orbital Sciences. He gets a kick out of introducing himself as a rocket scientist. Graduated at the top of the UIUC engineering program back in the ought-70's.

 

[TheOldSchool]

It's a rocket built by NASA with taxpayer funds that pretends to be a corporate endeavor. You almost gotta laugh that the weather channel and Fox did their duty and raved about the ant farms on the rocket.

Yes. Only antfarms. And some spare ants. That's all there was

 

[Moonglow]

They've sent up all kinds of critters to space. Nothing new.

NASA is building a new more powerful Hubble type of space telescope. Costing around 6 billion so far.
A new deep space vehicle for our next target,, Mars.

 

[whitehall]

They've sent up all kinds of critters to space. Nothing new.

NASA is building a new more powerful Hubble type of space telescope. Costing around 6 billion so far.
A new deep space vehicle for our next target,, Mars.

Judging by the weight and size each ant probably costs American taxpayers a couple of hundred dollars and to think that I sometimes step on the pests. Frankly I suspect that the launch is more about political payoffs and perhaps satellite sleuthing than ant farms but the low information left has been primed to trust everything the government does as long as a democrat is in office.

 

[Mr. H.]

What do they do with all the poop that accumulates in those ISS toilets?

 

[OnePercenter]

Here's the video!

Rocket Crashes In Desert - Videos - CBS News

 

[rdean]

Company | SpaceX

The truth is, if we never leave this planet we are doomed as a species. In my mind, that's the number one reason for space flight.

Some others without going and looking anything up:

Alloys and specialty metals. Metal matrix composites are affected by gravity and can only properly be made in space because of the effects of gravity. Think oil and vinegar. Because of gravity, they separate on earth.

Manufacture of perfect ball bearings.

Insulin Crystals.

To find more, I would have to go look them up. But without the effects of gravity, I suspect there are lots. And with cheap transportation, it becomes economicly feasible.

 

[flacaltenn]

Company | SpaceX

The truth is, if we never leave this planet we are doomed as a species. In my mind, that's the number one reason for space flight.

Some others without going and looking anything up:

Alloys and specialty metals. Metal matrix composites are affected by gravity and can only properly be made in space because of the effects of gravity. Think oil and vinegar. Because of gravity, they separate on earth.

Manufacture of perfect ball bearings.

Insulin Crystals.

To find more, I would have to go look them up. But without the effects of gravity, I suspect there are lots. And with cheap transportation, it becomes economicly feasible.

All those were the original motivation for the ISStation. But the reality of having metal foundries in space and the economics thereof --- kinda killed MOST of those ideas.

The advent of new nanotech and material processing here on earth is outpacing some of those old justifications. T.J. Rogers of semiconductor fame wrote a scathing indictment of trying to leverage weightlessness for making computer chips..

The NEW justifications should be basic knowledge and skill acquisitions. Like robotics and artificial intelligience capable of being exploration surrogates. Could happen in space --- or we could take the cheaper route and take those challenges to the deep oceans right here on Earth. But they should be done.

Planetary defense from asteroids would be a DAMN good investment. So would safe transport of dangerous waste products.

If the government is now merely the CUSTOMER for private space efforts. That's all right. Because that was largely the Govt contribution to the semi biz and to the communications biz and other leaps forward when they were ideas without products. As soon as someone discovers the massive methane ponds on Titan (or whereever they are) or the amount of gold/silver in asteroid mining --- things will change in a lifetime..

Methane convoys from Saturn
--- aint that Al Gore's recurring nightmare???

 

[flacaltenn]

Orbital Sciences Antares rocket launches on mission to space station - CBS News

The solar-powered cargo craft is packed with 3,220 pounds of research equipment, spare parts and crew supplies, including 23 experiments involving more than 8,600 elementary, junior high and high school students in the United States and Canada. The experiments "address life sciences topics ranging from vaccine effectiveness and amoeba reproduction to calcium loss in bones and liquid behavior in space," Orbital said in a news release.

Other experiments include an "ants in space" payload to study behavioral differences between ants in normal gravity and those in the weightless environment of space; an investigation to study how materials burn in space; and a project called "Story Time in Space" that will feature crew members videotaping themselves reading children's books and demonstrating various science and technology concepts.

Also on board: 33 small "cubesat" satellites, fresh food and a few holiday gifts for the station's six-man crew.

The "how stuff burns in space" designed by school-kids seems a little worrisome..

Got no problem with ants in space.. Unless they get loose on the space station, get bombarded by cosmic rays and turn into flesh eating intelligient creatures.. Might need some "Raid" on the next flight..

 

[ScienceRocks]

The more the better I hope dozens more joins in. Nasa is science and innovation....

Low orbit can be handled by the private sector.

 

[Kosh]

NASA does not create they dole out money to private contractors to create.

NASA has not created anything, it was the contractors that created the shuttle, the Apollo rockets, etc.

Even the satellites were designed and built by private contractors.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Nasa is the brains and they most certainly do create.

The private sector is good at only profiting. Good in some areas and bad in others.

 

[Kosh]

Nasa is the brains and they most certainly do create.

The private sector is good at only profiting. Good in some areas and bad in others.

And the far left AGW cultists continue to post their propaganda.

 

[Kosh]

On July 26, 1972, Rockwell International won the $2.6 billion contract to build the space shuttle orbiter, designated OV-101 (orbiter vehicle 101). It was named the Enterprise after a write-in campaign by Star Trek fans, although NASA originally wanted to call it the Constitution.

Boeing: Higher, Faster, Farther: 1970-1996

 

[ScienceRocks]

Humanity needs nasa to figure out ways to survive asteroids and other things that may very well wipe us out.

Science also shouldn't be about profit.

 

[Politico]

It's a rocket built by NASA with taxpayer funds that pretends to be a corporate endeavor. You almost gotta laugh that the weather channel and Fox did their duty and raved about the ant farms on the rocket.

Yes. Only antfarms. And some spare ants. That's all there was

No there was also another ten years of useless funding to keep that Tin can in orbit.